West Hollywood commission hears market‑trend briefing; staff to track lost rent‑stabilized units

Leona Rollins, the city’s rent stabilization manager, told the West Hollywood Rent Stabilization Commission on March 26 that local rents are showing modest moderation as supply increases, but that long‑standing rent‑stabilized households remain central to the city’s housing stability.

Rollins said the city’s two‑bedroom, one‑bath average is about $3,119 per month, a 1.8% decline from the previous calendar year, with studios roughly $2,200–$2,300, one‑bedrooms about $3,200–$3,300 and two‑bedrooms averaging near $4,000. She said the Los Angeles County median for a two‑bedroom is about $2,167, a four‑year low, and attributed county‑level moderation in part to more than 15,000 multifamily completions last year.

The presentation prompted commissioners to press staff for more local detail. “Is this just rent‑stabilized units, or does it include all rental units in the city?” Chair Rory asked. Rollins replied that the averages combine both rent‑stabilized and market‑rate units, and that market‑rate shifts influence the citywide average.

Commissioner Kirpis asked whether the county figures applied to West Hollywood; Rollins confirmed the 15,000 figure was for L.A. County and said the city has seen an uptick of more than 100 inclusionary units in the past year. She said staff are working with the Department of Building and Safety to finalize local counts.

Several commissioners requested a five‑year analysis showing how many rent‑stabilized (RSO) units were demolished or otherwise removed from the market, how many replacement units were built and the rent levels for replacement units. “We should see if there was a one‑for‑one replacement or fewer units returned to the market,” Commissioner Topchen said. Rollins said staff can pull demolition approvals, APN‑linked unit counts and replacement rent ranges and will return with a fuller presentation.

Commissioner Copeland asked specifically about Ellis Act evictions and units left vacant pending redevelopment. Rollins said staff plan to include losses from demolition and other removals in the five‑year picture but cautioned about timing: she could not guarantee the analysis would be ready for the next meeting.

Commissioner Bass raised enforcement concerns about short‑term rentals in rent‑stabilized buildings, saying he knows of several buildings on his block being used as short‑term units. Rollins explained how vacancy statistics are classified—long‑term vacancies are generally counted as units rented 31 days or longer and short‑term rentals are excluded from those long‑term vacancy figures—and described the city’s registration system. She said enforcement is largely complaint‑driven and that staff are exploring random audits and tenant surveys in coordination with code compliance to confirm occupancy and registration status.

Rollins also briefed the commission on near‑term administrative work: staff and legal counsel are finalizing implementation steps for Assembly Bill 628 and researching online‑banking approaches for security‑deposit interest; both items are expected to return to the commission in the spring for possible action.

Public safety commissioner Steven Post used public comment to highlight the Vision Zero dashboard and preview a county‑level drone policy that could affect the city’s public‑safety technology package. “Traffic violence is prolific in our city right now,” Post said, and urged closer inter‑commission coordination on transportation and safety data.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved the meeting agenda and the Feb. 12, 2026 minutes by voice vote.

The commission asked staff to return with the requested five‑year demolition/replacement analysis, vacancy clarifications and a plan for potential auditing or enforcement pilots; Rollins said staff will assemble the data and present it at a future meeting.